1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air diffuser designed to regulate air flow from an under floor air distribution system. More particularly, this invention relates to a quick release latching mechanism for installing or replacing air diffuser grilles from under floor air distribution systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, commercially available floor mounted air diffusers require longer to install or replace than desired. Part of the reason for the installation time is latching and/or unlatching the diffuser grille. Another disadvantage of the presently available floor mounted diffusers is adjusting the amount of air flow through the grille. The improvements of the present invention overcome both of those problems.
An example of a diffuser adapted to regulate air flow from an under floor air distribution system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,432 to Walker. A grille sets on a housing and a flow regulator that is supported by a mounting assembly in the floor. Both the housing and the flow regulator have air slots extending through their side walls to receive air from the plenum. The flow regulator can be rotated by turning the grille. The flow regulator has a series of three equally spaced arms or stops that extend inwardly from the sidewalls of the flow regulator and are joined at a central hub located near the center axis of rotation of the flow regulator. When the flow regulator is installed in the housing, an arcuate, molded-in tab or stop extends upwardly from the base of the housing between a first bar and a second bar. The arcuate width of the stop is approximately 15 degrees less than the arcuate width of the space between the first bar and the second bar. The grille and mounting assembly have indicators that give a visual indication of the portion of the floor regulator with respect to the housing, the openings of the slots, and the flow rate through the diffuser.
Another example of a diffuser for under floor air distribution is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,596 to Birdsong et al. Therein is described an air distribution system wherein the diffuser grille fits on a housing supported by a mounting assembly in the floor. The diffuser is designed to be mounted with a trim ring and a retaining ring in the floor above the air distribution plenum. A flow regulator nests insides the housing. Both the housing and the flow regulator have air slots through their side walls. Air from the plenum passes through these slots into the diffuser and is forced through the helical slots in the grille into the room above the diffuser. The air flow rate can be adjusted by rotating the flow regulator within the housing so that the slots in the flow regulator are either in or out of registry with the slots in the housing. The improvement in air distribution is the use of curved helical slots in the grille.
In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,438 to Laudermilk describes a floor mounted adjustable air flow assembly for use in an under floor air distribution or diffuser system. The assembly includes a circular gate housing having a cylindrical body portion, externally threaded along the lower portion, and features an outwardly directed flange to allow positioning of the circular grate housing in a floor opening in communication with the under floor plenums. Threadably engaging the lower portion of the grate housing and cooperating therewith is a flange ring including an outwardly extending rim. The flange ring threadably engages the threads to bring the rim into contact with the lower surface of a floor adjacent a floor opening, to thereby fix the circular grate housing relative to the floor.
Sodec, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,892 discloses an adjustable floor mounted air outlet vent includes a cylindrical housing that has air flow openings therein. The vent is adapted to be set into a floor opening and the cover plate having outlet openings therein and covering the top of the housing. The air outlet vent is secured in the opening. The grille plate has a first group of air outlet openings in the form of concentric circular arcuate slits extending over a first sector of the plate, and a second group of air outlet openings in the form of radially extending slits in a second sector of the plate. The housing mounted in the floor using a friction fit or may be equipped with a clamping member, such as a threaded clamping ring that clampingly presses against the bottom surface of the floor, or a lateral clamping wedge that pressing clampingly against the sidewalls of the opening in the floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,758 to Barboza et al. describes an adjustable air diffuser with improved method of installation. The assembly includes a plurality of tubular shaped parallel collars of different common duct sizes and arranged in an angular step configuration leaving the largest collar adjacent the mounting surface material. These collars are of sufficient length to accommodate easy duct installation. In addition to this length, the largest collar incorporates enough length to provide for a mounting clip cut out to house the mounting clip assembly.